Tag Archives: Sara

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

As an avid science fiction reader, I grabbed this one up 61jtbg0byal__sx332_bo1204203200_when I realized it was in my favorite genre and about my favorite place in the world – the library! After reading the book, not much of it actually takes place in a library, but the main character is a librarian so I guess that makes it still a worthwhile read!

The novel centers on the intriguing life of Irene who is a librarian for the Invisible Library. The Library exists in its own dimension and librarians can travel to other dimensions to collect books/items that may be of interest to the Library. Irene is introduced to us by way of her first mission with her new assistant Kai. She has been asked to retrieve a version of the Grimm Brothers fairy tales in an alternate reality. Each world that Irene travels to has a different combination of magic and technology available and this can be a challenge to the librarians.

Right away Irene and Kai run into trouble with the Fae, a group of vampires and a rogue librarian. The novel continues this way with multiple battles to be fought while Irene is starting to find that Kai holds a deeper secret about his past. Irene does finally acquire the book, but with plenty of plot twists and adventures along the way.

This book is your basic steampunk fantasy romp, but well-written and keeps your attention throughout. I would have liked to learn a little more about the Library because what real life librarian wouldn’t want to work in a hidden library in a different dimension? In my mind I imagined it somewhat like the Tardis with hidden rooms and giant reading rooms for all types of different genres, but I guess the author leaves it up to the reader to decide what the Library looks like in their own minds.

This series does have a second book out called The Masked City which is available now and the third book is due out in January, but I’m currently tearing through the advanced reader copy right now. Don’t worry I won’t post any spoilers!

Formats Available:  Book,  E-book

Reviewed by Sara, Okolona Branch

 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab ’s A Darker Shade of Magic had been on my to-read shelf for quite some time, but imagesmy current graphic novel obsession has prevented me from picking it up. Just this past weekend, I decided I was ready for some adult science fiction again, so I picked up the first in her trilogy of three books. I was instantly hooked after the first couple chapters and finished it in a couple of nights.

A Darker Shade of Magic takes place in London, but it’s not the London that you or I are familiar with. Think if your world had three parallel levels that were stacked on top of each other and were only accessible by a few select people in the world. This is the London of A Darker Shade of Magic. We immediately meet Kell, who is our main character, and find out that he is one of very few called the Antari. He was born with magic in his blood, and this allows him to access the other Londons. He refers to them by color: his London is the Red London which is full of magic, the Grey London is a place like our own world where magic is scarce, and the White London is a world that has been ravaged by war. Kell is often called on by his king to deliver messages from world to world, but he may have a side job or two as well while visiting the other Londons.

Schwab takes her time in developing a plot, but this doesn’t cause the novel to drag at all. In the meantime, she is creating a beautiful world (or worlds in this case) and making sure that all of her characters are intriguing as well. The reader truly can visualize the world that Kell lives in and the worlds that he travels too before the action even gets started.

Almost halfway through the book, we begin to get into our plot which introduces our other main character, Lila. Lila is a pickpocket in Grey London, but quickly finds herself thrown into a parallel world battle for a stone that may allow an Antari to access a London that no longer is accessible. We also meet Holland at this point who is another Antari, but he is employed by the monarchy of White London. Kell and Lila embark on a journey that will take them through many worlds and many close calls as they try and keep the stone out of the hold of the evil king and queen of White London.

This book is a wild roller coaster ride and I’m looking forward to where the next two books lead. The next book, A Gathering of Shadows is already available and the last book will be out next February. If you like your science fiction with only small amounts of fantasy mixed in, I highly recommend this as your next book!

Formats Available:  Book, Audiobook, E-book

Reviewed by Sara, Okolona Branch

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

This book  by Jojo Moyes was one that I really was not looking forward me-before-you to reading when the book club suggested it several months ago. I had heard from others that the story line was very reminiscent of many novels by Nicholas Sparks, and I had already sworn off his novels several years prior. After reading several chapters of this book, however I realized that there was a lot more to it than a sad ending.

The story revolves around 26-year old Louisa Clarke who has recently lost her job and is struggling to help support herself and her family. She reluctantly goes for an interview as a caretaker even though she has never worked in the field before. Camilla Traynor, a mother of a recent quadriplegic, hires Louisa out of desperation for her son’s mental health. Louisa starts work right away and meets a chilly Will Traynor. Will led an exciting and adventurous life before his accident, and has slipped into depression since.

Lou is immediately met with sarcastic remarks and an emotional wall with Will. She slowly chips away at his chilly demeanor with her silly remarks and her quirky clothes. Will quickly discovers an outlet for his energy in Lou. She has truly never lived her life and Will wants to make sure that she discovers what all life can be. Will has a secret though and Lou quickly finds out by overhearing his parents in conversation about Will ending his own life. Will has control over only one thing left in his life and that is how it will end. He is determined that he will not suffer anymore and he will end his own life in a dignified manner in less than six months.

After hearing this Lou is determined that she is going to make Will really live again, but what she doesn’t realize is Will is actually making her truly live for the first time in life. They enjoy concerts and even embark on a sunny vacation together. Will this be enough to change Will’s mind in the end though?

You will only find out if you read the book or take a trip to the movies to see the recently released movie based on the book. However after seeing the movie with the book club recently, I can certainly say my standard quote…”The book is almost always better than the movie!”

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Formats Available:  Book, Audiobook, E-book, Large Type

Reviewed by Sara, Okolona Branch

The Art of Horror: An Illustrated History

artofhorror-atc-300x337When this book first arrived at the library, I knew that it was going to be one that I added to my personal collection just by looking at the cover. The book is heavily bound and literally a monster of a book at over 250 glossy color pages.

First let’s focus on the artwork presented throughout the book. The art presented within the book spans from early century paintings to modern contemporary art created digitally. He doesn’t fail to leave out the famous horror movie posters either. Mr. Jones organizes each section of the book beautifully by horror genre. All images are reproduced beautifully with no distortion or fuzziness. Even the historical images in this book are stunningly beautiful sitting beside their modern counterparts on the same page.

The editor didn’t aim to make just a book full of beautiful pictures when he put together The Art of Horror either. The book starts out with a foreword from legendary writer Neil Gaiman, and then continues on with ten different sections written by leading authorities of each subject. For example, S.T. Joshi writes a stunning essay on H.P. Lovecraft highlighted by gorgeous images throughout. Many of the essays deal with the origination of the genre, for example zombies, and then moves throughout history to modern times.

If you are a fan of the horror genre or just a fan of art in general, I certainly would recommend this to you. This book has become a common piece on my coffee table, and not just around Halloween time.

Formats Available:  Book

Reviewed by Sara, Okolona Branch

 

The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman

zookeeper-wife-bookclubThe Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman is a work of non-fiction that centers  on the lives of the Zabinskis’ in World War II. They owned a zoo in Warsaw prior to the war and used this zoo during the war to hide Jewish people. This book originally was brought to my attention when it was mentioned during a documentary about Lutz Heck and his attempt to create perfect animal species with money from famous Nazi leader, Hermann Göring.

The story is mostly is a retelling of Antonina Zabinski’s personal diary from before and during the war. The family’s history and life before the war is introduced in the beginning of the book and tells of how they became owners of the Warsaw Zoo. They were both passionate about animals and rehabilitated many within the zoo. Eventually the war reaches their doorstep and wreaks havoc within the zoo walls. Animals are quickly slaughtered or let loose to roam the streets of Warsaw. The zoo is taken over by many people after the beginning of the war and also takes on many different faces including a farm for pigs at one point.

Antonina and her husband Jan both held the ideal that Nazi racism was “inexplicable, devilish, and a disgust to the soul.” Even though his father was a staunch atheist, Jan had grown up in a mostly Jewish neighborhood and held a high regard for the Jewish people. In the summer of 1940, the Zabinskis’ made the decision to become a part of the Resistance to provide safe hiding places for Jews within the zoo. Even though German soldiers frequented the zoo for a place of solitude, they regarded the Slavs as a highly stupid race that was only fit for physical labor so they never expected them to hiding Jewish people in the tunnels of the zoo.  To allow the “guests” to remain undercover, the refugees were given animal names and the animals were given human names to confuse anyone that may have been visiting the zoo. The zoo took in several families during the following years and saved them from either a life of hard labor or death in the concentration camps.

ZookeeperWife100207This story was an intriguing read and was certainly a different viewpoint of World War II. We often hear about the astounding numbers of deaths of humans in World War II, but not about the number of animals in zoos or homes that were lost. The Zabinskis’ story is one of heroism, humanity and resilience in a war torn country. Without them, many more Jews would have been slaughtered by the Nazi’s. Ackerman, a naturalist by trade, does a decent job portraying the facts and little more. Many reviewers have noted that she does mistake some of her numbers within her research, but the casual reader will probably never notice this while reading this book. I would recommend this book to any history lover and especially those who enjoy tales of true humanity during World War II.

This book is set to become a movie starring Jessica Chastain sometime in 2016.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Warsaw Zoo opened a permanent exhibit honoring the Zabinskis this year on April 11, 2015.

Formats Available: Book, eBook, Audio, Large-Type

Reviewed by Sara, Okolona Branch

Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

“My daddy says that when you do somethin’ to distract you from your worstest fears, it’s like whistlin’ past the graveyard. You know, making a racket to keep the scaredness and the ghosts away. He says that’s how we get by sometimes.” – Starla

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Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall is one of those books that changes your heart and gives you a view of America’s south in 1963 through the eyes of a child. The story begins with a child and follows her throughout a life altering journey. Starla is a feisty nine-year old, who states her mind and continually challenges authority. She is being raised by her grandmother and father because her mother has gone to Nashville to become a famous singer. Her grandmother rules with a strict hand and Starla fights back against her rule every chance she is given. Starla quickly decides to flee town to escape her grandmother and to reunite with her mother because she believes that her mother is the only one who loves her. We eventually find out her mother’s true character later on in the story.

Starla is found on the roadside by a black woman that is currently caring for a white baby that she has taken from a church’s front step. Eula and Starla continue on a journey towards Nashville that is briefly halted by Eula’s abusive husband, however they eventually make it to Nashville to find Starla’s mother. This adventure brings Starla face to face with race relations, abuse, and murder.

This book is unique because writers normally do not decide to depict the tension in the American South at that time through the eyes of a child. The only faults that can be found in this book are some of the side stories that the writer introduces. For example, the story of the white baby that Eula has stolen seems to just fizzle out at the end. Overall this book is well written and a page turner to the end. Some readers may even identify with Starla because they also grew up at this time in the South.  For those of us that weren’t alive during those times, this book gives an authentic view of the race relations of the South at that time.

Formats available: Book, Large Print

Reviewed by Sara, Okolona Branch

 

Emma by Alexander McCall Smith

First off I must tell you that I’ve been an avid fan ofdownload Jane Austen since I was a young teenager. I have read most of the reimagined books including ones that had zombies and vampires. I was very interested about the Austen Project when I heard that they were going to be taking many of Austen’s classics and reimagining them for modern times. Emma was the third of this new series to be released and Alexander McCall Smith was chosen to pen this one.

McCall Smith has taken the basic pieces of the classic story and reinvented them into a modern retelling of the classic. It is written for the modern reader, leaving out much of Austen’s original speech that can be daunting for today’s readers. Emma’s father now becomes an intense hypochondriac worrying about vaccines and antibacterial soap. Emma also gets a modern upgrade with a new mini Cooper that she drives around town. There are also many quips about McCall Smith’s town of Edinburgh, Scotland that you may not catch unless you have actually traveled there.

While Emma was not my favorite of Austen’s books, I do believe this book does honor the original character’s personalities. While Emma was not a favorite of mine in the original book, I really formed a dislike for her in McCall Smith’s book. I think that it’s because he took a lot more time to develop the main characters (Mr. Woodhouse, Emma, Harriett) then Austen did in the original. In doing this, he however leaves little time for Mr. Knightly and others in the story. This was the only disheartening part of the novel for myself because the reader misses out of Emma’s blooming relationship and it seems like an afterthought at the end of the book. The author does leave some of the original formality in the book, including mention of the room Mr. Woodhouse entertains his guests in and also some very formal speech.

The story is delightful overall and a fun beach read. I would recommend it to readers, but would recommend that they possibly read the original after or before reading McCall Smith’s re-imagination.  Many die hard Austen fans may view this is a heresy, but I think McCall Smith does a wonderful job both paying respect to the original, but also putting a new spin on the classic story. The book would also be a good primer for readers that are slightly frightened to begin reading Austen’s originals. Overall this has been one of the best re-imaginations of Austen’s classics yet.

Formats available: Book, E-book

Reviewed by Sara, Okolona Branch

The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian

pandianWhile I’m not usually a mystery reader, this book caught my attention because of its beautiful cover. After reading the back, it seemed to be almost a mystery/science fiction crossover. The story begins by introducing us to Zoe Faust who is a 300 year old accidental alchemist. She has lived on the road for most of her years, and if finally settling down in a fixer upper in a quaint small town. When unpacking her items in her new house, she finds that she has brought along a gargoyle named Dorian that is seeking her help. He not only speaks many languages, but happens to be an excellent French chef. Dorian needs Zoe’s help in making sure that he remains alive with a mysterious alchemy book that he has brought along with him.

The antics begin when Zoe comes home from a walk to find not only Dorian’s book missing, but a dead contractor on her front step. This brings Detective Liu to her door and the wayward youth Brixton to help along the way. Zoe is still trying to determine at this point whether Dorian may have had a hand in the murder, but eventually realizes him to be an ally in their investigation.

This story could be very entertaining, but seems to fall short in its storytelling. The author reminds the reader of key points multiple times within the storyline, and it becomes exhausting at some points for the reader. Also even though we know Zoe is 300 years old, she for the most part behaves and thinks like your normal twenty year old.  Even though the story did have multiple shortcomings, I did continue it through to the end because I was interested to see who had stolen the books and committed the murder. This may be a good pick for food mystery lovers, and there is even a bonus section in the appendix of recipes mentioned in the book. This book had all the pieces but just failed to connect them into a successful mystery.

Formats available: Book, E-book

Reviewed by Sara, Okolona Branch

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

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After just finishing Joe Hill’s book Horns and also watching the movie based on the book, I was eager to dig into more of his novels. Alas, I found just what I was looking for to read during the Christmas season. NOS4A2 combines the best of the horror genre with a Christmas topping in a wonderfully horrible world called Christmasland.

Meet Vic, the only girl who ever escaped from the notorious criminal Charles Manx. Victoria or Vic has a special power. She can find any lost thing that she wishes to. By hopping on her bike and traveling across a bridge that she can only see, she is transported to the exact location where the item resides. This talent delivers her right into the hands of notorious child kidnapper Charles Manx. Manx also has a special power, draining the life out of children and transporting them to a different reality that only he can visit, Christmasland. While Christmasland sounds like a delightful place to visit, it truly is something out of your worst nightmare including children wanting to eat you for their next meal.

Fast forward several chapters within in the book, we learn that Vic has grown into a mess of a person because of both her talent and her previous kidnapping by Charles Manx. Manx has been in a coma for several years within a hospital due to Vic’s testimony, but when he dies his body suspiciously disappears from the morgue. By way of an old friend and scrabble tiles, Vic learns that Manx is on the move again and coming straight for her and her family. What follows is a wild ride between good and evil that has lasting effects on every character in the story.

Hill does an excellent job at forming his characters and by the end of the story the reader has formed a connection with both Vic and her family. Horror readers will see the connection between the classic vampire story and a more modern that Hill has created in NOSS4A2. The book is daunting at over 700 pages, but I guarantee you will enjoy the wild ride in the back seat of a 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith with a license plate of NOS4A2.

 

Formats Available:  Regular Type, eBook, Graphic Novel

Reviewed by Sara, Okolona Branch

Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat

Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat is the extraordinary tale of the intricate tapestry of people whom inhabit a small town in Haiti. The book is titled after a young girl who is raised by her father after her mother dies in child birth. The father is very unsure of his capabilities of parenting a young girl and each year on her birthday, he tries to give her to a local fabric store owner. The beginning of the story recounts each of Claire’s birthdays in a descending order, which later sets up the other characters stories to be weaved into this tapestry.

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After we learn of Claire’s story, Danticat begins to weave other characters stories into the tapestry of this town. We learn of the story of the wealthy fabric store owner whose life has been nothing but tragedy throughout, and also the poor gang member who is falsely accused of murder and is subsequently murdered only days later. We are also told the story of a young boy who escapes the small town, but comes back to face a father that no longer understands his life.

The sea becomes a major character in many of the citizens’ lives, and symbolizes the fragile nature of life as well. In many tales of the book both a birth and a death happen in the town concurrently again demonstrating the fragility of life. The book feels like a collection of fables, but Danticat succeeds in weaving a beautiful tapestry of the townspeople. Through both tragedy and hope, it is hard not to identify with many of the novel’s characters by the end of the tale.

Formats Available:  Regular Type, Large Type, eBook, Playaway, CD

Reviewed by Sara, Okolona Branch